Broken Like A Toy
by thisentireaccountembarrassesme
Summary: Yagyuu only saw Niou as a toy. Something he could play with and break. When he shatters Niou's heart, and he realizes he really does love him, is it too late? Rated T for swearing. :3
1. Breaking

**Something that came to mind on the bus? :3 I don't like it, it makes me sad. But I'll write it out anyway, 'cause I'm sure you guys will like it.**

**I don't own Prince of Tennis**

The first time Yagyuu laid eyes on Niou, he already knew exactly what he was going to do. In Yagyuu's opinion, Niou was nothing but a toy. Something for Yagyuu to manipulate and play with and then break. Yagyuu had done this several times over with different people, and always seemed to be more satisfied then the last time. This one was different, though. Because Niou was stubborn as hell. The boy didn't trust a single person. Not his family, not his captain, no one. And holy hell, the boy had some issues. Family, mostly. Emi, Niou's mother, had attempted to con his father out of all his money. His father found out, got Emi pregnant, and took off. But little miss Niou Emi wasn't the type of girl to get an abortion. But she hated her son. She hated him so, so much. He ruined her life. Even though she had two other kids, only Niou seemed to be the one to ruin her life. So she made his life a living hell. Which was fine with him. Because he returned it by making her life miserable.

Finally, though, after three years, Yagyuu had broken down every single one of Niou's defenses. He had gotten in. He made it so Niou depended on him. Niou could hardly finish a sentence without him now. Niou couldn't wake up in the morning without Yagyuu. Oh, God, how perfect it was. Yagyuu captured Niou's heart and made him fall in love with him. And, with just a simple twist and a squeeze, he could easily shatter that heart. And that was exactly what he planned to do. Soon. He had to wait for the perfect time. While the rest of the team was around. Because Yagyuu knew Niou would end up snapping. He'd end up collapsing into a pitiful little pile of sobs. Right in front of the whole team. Oh how perfect that'd be!

It was one day after practice. Fall was starting to get into winter and it made Niou jittery. He absolutely loved winter. It was his favorite season.

Practice was winding down and at this point, everyone was in a loose sort of group, talking amongst themselves. Niou was leaning against the fence, pouring water over his face and letting it soak his hair and body. Yagyuu thought he looked pretty. Yagyuu also thought that Niou was a charming bastard that could make the straightest of men think he was irresistibly sexy.

"Masaharu." Yagyuu leaned against the fence beside his partner so he was facing him.

Niou lowered the bottle slowly and blinked at Yagyuu. He was only ever called Masaharu when they were alone. "Yeah?"

"Have you ever questioned that I love you?" Yagyuu asked curiously.

Niou frowned a little. "What're you talkin' about?"

"Have you ever thought about it?" Yagyuu continued. "About me loving you? Even after you said it was impossible and that you couldn't be loved?"

Niou stared at him silently. Of course he did. Yagyuu knew this.

"Niou... What would you do if I told you I didn't love you?"

Niou stayed silent. But on the inside, he was scared. Yagyuu knew this, too.

"Niou Masaharu, I don't love you. Hell, I never did."

At this point, the rest of the team was listening. Different emotions crossed their faces. Shock, anger, confusion.

"I hate you, Niou." Yagyuu continued, looking up at the sky. "I've always hated you. Since we met."

Niou swallowed slightly and refrained frown shaking.

"It took me a long time, Niou. Because, Jesus Christ, you're a fuckin' stubborn bastard. It took me forever to get through to you. To get you to trust me. But I finally did it. And when I did, you couldn't _stop_ trusting me. I manipulated you, Niou. I made it so you depended on me for everything." He chuckled quietly. "You're just a toy to me, Masaharu." His voice was suddenly sharp. "That's all you've ever been to me. I played with you. I made you do what I wanted you to. And now I'm going to break you."

Niou still didn't say anything, but Yagyuu could tell he was starting to loose it. They way his eyes sparkled with unshed tears, the way his fingers drummed against his thigh lightly. The slight trembling in his shoulders that almost wasn't even there. Oh, God, it was so amusing.

"And the fact that you come from a broken family makes it all better." Yagyuu sneered a little

Niou simply stiffened.

"You hate your Mom, your mom hates you. Your siblings don't much care for you either, do they? You've never been loved. Not even by me. Yet, you trusted me. You played so easily into my hands and I just used you." Yagyuu shook his head and laughed. "You were always such an easy fuck. The way you'd beg me to touch you. Then you'd moan like the little whore you are. pleading me to go faster, harder, deeper."

Niou's breathing picked up.

"But now, Niou, I'm through with you. You've gotten to bore me. I'll just move onto someone else." He spared Niou once fleeting glance before saying, "I never loved you, Niou. No one ever will." He walked off the courts and behind the locker rooms where he stopped and watched secretly. This was his favorite part. Watching them snap. It'd be so much more fun with Niou.

Niou stood there, staring at the ground. He didn't blink, he didn't move, he didn't say anything. Eventually, Akaya broke the silence.

"Niou-Senpai..."

Niou snapped. He broke. He fell apart and his knees hit the tennis court under him. The tears flowed so easily from his eyes. He shook and let out pitiful little sobs and gasps. Because, Jesus Christ, his chest ached. Yagyuu had quite literally shattered his heart. And he just sobbed.

Yukimura bent down next to him and tried his best to comfort him. Niou was broken. Like a toy. And even though you could try and fix it and put it back together, it wouldn't always be able to function correctly again. It'd still be a little damaged. And Niou would always be a little damaged. He was a little damaged to begin with. Yagyuu just crushed him all over again.

Yagyuu frowned. This wasn't amusing him as much as it should've. As a matter of fact, he felt a little bad. Guilty, even. And he couldn't figure out why. No. No, he knew why. It was because of the bond they had. Being doubles partners for four years could do that. They had a bit of a bond going on there. And the switching. They had spent a whole year getting to know each other enough to the point where they could switch. Now, Yagyuu didn't have to think, _What would Niou say to that? What would he do?_. He just reacted as Niou would. Like a second personality. Yagyuu had spent four years learning how to practically read Niou's mind. He felt like Niou, saw what Niou saw. He _was_ Niou.

Oh, God.

Yagyuu clutched his chest and winced. Felt like Niou did... Damn, they were like fucking twins. His eyes widened in understanding. No... It wasn't like they were twins. It was because...

"Oh Jesus Christ..." Yagyuu whispered. His heart hurt. That wasn't _him_ feeling _Niou's_ pain. That was his heart breaking. Because he was watching Niou hurt. He was watching Niou's heart shatter and watching him sob and it was _his_ fault. Holy hell... He had _actually_ fallen in love with Niou.

Niou started to hyperventilate. His body jerked and he struggled to take a breath. He couldn't breath! He was jerking and shaking and shuddering. And he just couldn't seem to take a breath.

"Niou!" Yukimura's voice was now panicked. But at least he knew what to do. He laid Niou's body out so it was level and even. Sanada handed him a water bottle, which Yukimura squirted onto Niou's face.

"Deep breaths, Niou." Yukimura urged quietly. "Come on, baby. Deep breaths. Shh... Calm down. Take a deep breath."

With a loud gasp, Niou inhaled and sat up. His head was aching from struggling to breathe. Tears still made tracks down his cheeks.

When he noticed Niou had started struggling, Yagyuu had ran from around the locker rooms and towards the team.

"Yagyuu." Yukimura said harshly, standing up and moving in front of Niou. "Leave. Now. Please."

Yagyuu shook his head quickly and wiped the back of his hand across his eyes. Damn. He was crying. "Wait. Please, let me explain."

Yukimura stared at him. "I think you've-"

"Please, Buchou!" There was a desperate note to his voice. "I need to."

Yukimura gave him a fleeting look before stepping aside.

Yagyuu knelt down in front of Niou, but Niou just scrambled backwards. "No..." He whispered.

"Masa, please-"

Niou cut Yagyuu off. He stood up quickly. "No! Don't call me that! You don't have the _right _to call me that!"

Yagyuu stood up also, his voice pleading. "Niou, please, give me the chance to explain."

Niou didn't say anything. He just tore his hands through his hair. Eventually, he whispered, "You have a fucking minute. If you're not done 'explaining' by then, I'm _through_ with you." His voice was thick with tears.

"I _never_ meant to hurt you." Yagyuu paused. "Okay, I did. I did mean to hurt you. I wanted to watch you break down and snap. I wanted to watch your heart shatter."

"What the fuck are you doing?!" Yukimura snapped.

"But I didn't expect it to work this way." Yagyuu continued, ignoring his Buchou's question. "It's what I do, Niou. I take people, I play with them, make them fall in love with me, and then I rip their heart and stomp on it. It amuses me. I love watching them shatter. Because by the time I'm done with them, they aren't even able to complete a sentence without me."

Yukimura moved to backhand him, but Sanada held him back. Yukimura shouted angrily. "No! No, Genichirou, let me the fuck go! Let me kill him! Let me rip him the fuck apart! He won't be _anything_ when I'm done with him!"

Yagyuu continued. "I did the same thing to you. It took longer. Because you didn't trust people." He laughed humorlessly. "I guess you shouldn't of trusted me. But... I never thought that I would've fallen in love with you."

Niou didn't say anything, he just stared at him.

Yagyuu took a deep breath. "Niou Masaharu... I simply befriended you so I could tear you apart. I regret that now. Because, Jesus Christ, I'm in love with you. And right now, it's hurting me to know that I hurt you so badly."

Niou wiped his eyes and glared at him. "You said you loved me last time too, you damn bastard. Look where I ended up."

"Masa-"

"Don't! Don't call me that."

"...Niou... I know you might never be able to trust me again."

Niou snorted on the word _might_.

"But I want you to know one thing..."

Niou raised his eyebrows.

"I love you. I guess I always have. And every whisper... Every sweet thing I've said to you... I've meant." Yagyuu swallowed and took a deep shuddering breath. "Just think about it." He turned and walked away, finally starting to break down. Finally starting to fully cry.

"You fucking bastard!" Yukimura shouted from Sanada's hold. "I'm going to tear you the fuck apart! You just wait!" Sanada promptly slapped a hand over his mouth.

"Niou-Senpai..." Akaya said hesitantly. "Are-"

"Don't." Niou whispered. He shot Akaya a watery smile. "I'm sorry. Please excuse me." He turned and walked off, in the opposite direction Yagyuu had.

-

Niou didn't come to school the next day. Yagyuu did. The whole team sort of gave him the cold shoulder. Yukimura tried to make him run laps the whole time, but Sanada wouldn't really let him. Something about what happened yesterday being a personal matter, not a team one.

Niou didn't come to school the next day, either. Or the day after that. Or the day after that. He didn't come to school for three weeks.

No one had heard from him. Not Yukimura. Not Yagyuu. Not even his family. Though no one had expected for him to contact his family.

It seemed as if Niou Masaharu disappeared off the face of the Earth.

**Shoot me for cliff hanger? :3 XD There will be another chapter. ...**_**If**_** I get some reviews. Constructive Criticism welcomed! :D**


	2. Repairing

**'Kay, I ended up writing the next chapter even before I got reviews. If not for a few friends, then for my own entertainment. XD Please enjoy. :3**

Yagyuu really couldn't believe it. His heart was just as broken as Niou's. Something he never anticipated. And after Niou disappeared off the face of the earth for a good month, Yagyuu never really expected to see him again. And then his heart shattered again.

And then, he got That. Yes, That. And he just sat there reading it, over and over again, for about half an hour.

_Meet me on the roof, Baby. 3_

Yagyuu just _stared_. The text was from Niou. Or, at least, Niou's phone. But... The heart? _Baby_? If Yagyuu hadn't been confused before, then he was now. He would go up to the roof to see Niou. He probably wouldn't be emotionally prepared for what Niou had to dish out, but he deserved it anyway.

So, before practice started and after school ended, Yagyuu made his way up five flights of stairs to the roof. The roof where Niou and Yagyuu had so many times kissed, and talked things through, and hugged, and discussed plans... They even had sex there once. It had sort of been a spur of the moment type thing Niou had came up with.

Yagyuu pushed open the door and winced at the sunlight. Dam, it was bright. He stepped out and shut the door, still trying to get his eyes to adjust to the light.

"Damn, Hiroshi, you look horrible."

Yagyuu quickly turned to the right where he saw Niou. Except he didn't exactly _look_ like Niou.

"Oh my God, Niou..." Yagyuu took a hesitant step forward. "What..."

Niou had chopped off his rattail, so it was now just a white shaggy mop. It brushed over his eyes, which he had skillfully lined with eyeliner. He wore a pair of black skinny jeans, a bright pink T-shirt, a black suit jacket, and blue converse with black laces. Black streaks were shooting through Niou's bleached hair.

Niou shrugged a little. "I've changed, Hiroshi."

Yagyuu blinked. _Hiroshi?_ Did that mean he could call Niou 'Masaharu' again? He doubted it. That wasn't how Niou worked.

"Hiroshi," Niou drawled, walking to the fence that went along the perimeter of the roof. His fingers linked through the chain and he looked down at the tennis courts. "We need to talk."

"I figured that much." Yagyuu said softly.

Niou turned around to face him, his face impassive. "It'll take a long, long time for me to ever even begin trustin' you again, Hiroshi." Niou said, reaching up as if to tug on the end of his hair. He paused, then let his hand fall to the side. Old habits die hard. "But I'm ready this time." He nodded firmly. "I've spent the past month doing everything I possibly can to build my defenses back up."

_If I was able to tear down years and years worth of your defenses, then why would you think I wouldn't be able to do the same to the ones you put up in a month?_ Yagyuu stayed silent and didn't voice his thoughts.

Niou looked away briefly. "It'll take a while for me to let you back into my life." His hands clenched slightly. "Because, in all honesty, I can't bear to even think of you hurting me again the way you did."

"Niou..." Yagyuu moved forward until he was in front of his... former doubles partner. Hesitantly, he let the back of his hand lay on Niou's cheek. Reflexively, Niou's hand moved up to touched Yagyuu's. "I will _never_ hurt you again. I swear to God. I didn't realize I had actually fallen in love with you until I hurt you."

Niou turned then around and pushed Yagyuu against the fence. Then he kissed him hard. "Do me a favor, Hiroshi." Niou said breathlessly.

Yagyuu blinked surprise, but reached out to wrap his arms around Niou. Their roles were switched. Usually, it'd be Yagyuu pushing Niou against the fence. But he didn't care. "Anything."

Niou took a deep breath. "Be patient with me. Just... Settle with being friends with benefits for now, Ya know? Because... You can't shatter my heart again if we're just sleeping together.

As much as it hurt Yagyuu to realize that all Niou wanted to be for now as convenient fuck buddies, he'd deal with it. Because with Niou, you had to take small steps. You had to go slow. You couldn't really rush him. Niou went at his own pace. And Yagyuu knew it would take a long, _long _time for him to get over this.

-

Weeks passed.

Niou and Yagyuu still weren't really on friendship terms. They slept together. All the time. Like a couple of rabbits, they were always all over each other. Constantly. Yukimura often snapped at them to stay off of each other during practice hours. Yukimura was, also, still slightly ticked at Yagyuu. Because that _bastard_ (Or that's what Yukimura called Yagyuu when talking to Sanada) caused _his_ precious son Niou to chop off his long white hair and streak it black. He also caused his Niou to start wearing makeup.

-

Months passed.

Niou was slowly starting to trust Yagyuu. Not by much. Sometimes they'd hang out after school. But Niou was mostly gravitating towards Marui, Yukimura, Akaya... So on. Yagyuu once called Niou and found out he was chilling at a coffee shop with none other then Fuji Syusuke from Seigaku.

Things were progressing with tiny baby steps. Tiny _retarded_ baby steps. Which were smaller the regular baby steps. And slower. And they fell down a lot.

-

Six months passed.

Niou and his mother got into a fight late at night. Niou went to Yagyuu's house and climbed through his window. They slept in the same bed, Niou curled into Yagyuu's side with Yagyuu holding him protectively. No sex. Just cuddling. Just like old times.

After that, their friendship grew a few inches higher on the scale. Niou started shifting farther away from Akaya, Marui, and Yukimura and closer to Yagyuu. They hung out more after school. Spent weekends together. Yagyuu liked this progression.

-

One year passed. Seventeen years old.

Niou decided they could be best friends again. But he kept Yagyuu at a safe distance, still. Not letting him in. Not letting him close. And sometimes, when they were staying the night at each other's houses, Yagyuu would notice Niou jerk awake, breathing heavily, sweating, sometimes crying. Nightmares. And Yagyuu was positive they were of the day he shattered the boy's heart.

-

Three years passed. Twenty years old.

Niou and Yagyuu stood on the balcony of the apartment that they shared. They were still best friends. Still slept together.

"Hiroshi," Niou said softly, looking over at his friend.

Yagyuu looked at him curiously.

"I'm ready."

Yagyuu blinked. At first, he was confused. _Ready? Ready for what?_ Then he knew. Oh. Oh, God!

"Niou... Are... You sure?" He took a step closer to Niou and touched his cheek softly with the back of his hand.

Niou smiled and nodded. "Yes. I want you to be my boyfriend, Hiroshi."

"Masaharu..."

Niou's face registered in shock briefly before he broke into a grin. Yagyuu hadn't called him that since everything shattered four years ago.

"Do you trust me?"

Niou blinked. Then frowned. Then shook his head a little. "Not completely. That'll take more time. But... I want you to mean something more to me then just a friend and a piece of ass." He smirked a little.

Yagyuu grinned and kissed him softly. "Thank you, Masaharu. This means a lot to me. This second chance."

Niou nodded seriously. "Don't fuck it up. Because it's the last one you're getting."

**There **_**will**_** be another chapter. Sort of like a little sequel type thing, ya know? XD Hope you enjoyed! Please review! :3**


	3. Functioning

**Here's the last part of the Broken Like A Toy series~ :3 Hope you enjoy! **

**  
I DON'T OWN PRINCE OF TENNIS. I forgot to put that in the past chapters. XD**

Age twenty-eight.

Rikkai had their ten year high school reunion. Yagyuu and Niou had lost touch with the rest of the school throughout the years, so Niou was a bit jittery, even nervous.

For the past year, Niou completely ignored what happened when they were sixteen. He acted like it had never even happened. He liked it that way. He acted much like he did before shit went down then. Maybe even more trustworthy. Yagyuu liked this. Though he still did handle Niou carefully, as if he were fragile.

Niou's fingers intertwined with Yagyuu's as they walked into the school gym. Much like other people who were on sports teams, they were wearing their more formal uniforms. The pants instead of shorts, with the jackets and such.

"Niou, quit freaking out. Why are you so worried?" Yagyuu brushed his thumb over the back of his boyfriend's hand.

"I'm not worried." Niou said with a scoff and a roll of his eyes. Niou Masaharu was never _worried._ A little nervous... possibly. "It's just... We haven't seen these guys in years. Hell, we haven't even talked to them since we graduated. We don't even know if half of them are alive!"

"Don't talk like that, Masa."

Niou smiled a little. Damn that pet name.

"C'mon, Niou." Yagyuu pulled his lover gently into the gymnasium.

Music was playing quietly. Not really like a club party, more like a social gathering. People were hugging, some crying ("Pansies..." Niou muttered), so on.

"They're not even here." Niou complained, referring to the absent tennis team. "The losers."

"No," Yagyuu said, leading him towards the back door. "I bet I know where they are."

And Yagyuu was right. Rikkaidai's best tennis regulars in history were on the courts, talking.

"Niou!" Niou was pelted by a small, black-haired monster.

"Um... Hey there, Kirihara." Niou said, awkwardly patting the demon child's back. "You haven't grown at all."

Kirihara scowled and pulled back. "Well, at least I'm not wearing make-up."

"I'm not." Niou replied, rolling his eyes.

"Oh yeah?" Akaya looked between the two of them. "I bet you guys switched. Didn't you?"

"Actually," Yagyuu said, "For once, we didn't."

Yukimura smiled from where he stood beside Sanada. Their fingers were intertwined. Looked like Niou and Yagyuu weren't the only couple from the team.

Turned out, Yukimura and Sanada hooked up after graduation. They had two kids. Two twin girls. Yukimura told Niou at some point, that when the girls were talking to him, Yukimura referred to Sanada as "Mommy", but when the girls were talking to Sanada, he referred to Yukimura as "Mommy".

Yukimura went on to be a pro tennis player, and Sanada became his personal trainer.

Marui became a hairstylist. He owned a very popular shop downtown. Jackal became a stay at home dad! He takes care of his two sons while his wife is out working. Akaya sang at a club on weekends. It, at least, paid for his house. Marui was his roommate. Renji became a professer at a nice collage.

Yagyuu and Niou became detectives. They worked in the same unit. They were partners. A package deal. With one, came the other. They absolutely loved to switch and fuck with people in interrogation. They did tons of undercover work together, too.

"Check this out," Yukimura pulled out his wallet and pulled out a whole line of wallet photos. All of his twin girls Sakura and Tsubaki.

"Oh yeah?" Niou smirked and pulled out his own wallet. He flipped it open and showed off pictures of...

"Niou," Yukimura said blankly. "That's a cat."

"Not just _any_ cat!" Niou said, sounding offended. "That's Mr. Bond!"

The cat was a Tuxedo kitty that Yagyuu had brought home a few weeks after Niou's cat, Sudoku, died. Niou had cried for days and days and swore to god he was never getting another cat. Until Yagyuu brought home a small kitten wrapped in a blanket and claimed he found it in a box on the side of the road. Niou fell in love with it at first sight, and have him the name of James Bond.

"Hey," Yukimura said suddenly, looking around. "Let's play tennis. Ya know, for old times sake?"

"That's no fair!" Akaya exclaimed. "Most of us haven't played in forever! While, you on the other hand, Buchou, are a _pro_ tennis player!"

"I'm not your captain anymore, Akaya. You don't have to call me Buchou. Seiichi is fine."

They did end up playing, though. Yukimura slaughtered them all. Easily. But it was fun. Like old times. When things were so much more simple. Not a care in the world. Now Yukimura and Sanada were raising two girls and Jackal was raising two boys. Niou had struggled through an identity crisis about a year back.

For a while, he wasn't sure weather he was himself, Niou, or Yagyuu. It totally freaked him out to no end. He was totally convinced for a while that he was Yagyuu. He _wanted_ to be Yagyuu. Yagyuu, with the normal family, normal life, no security issues, no problems. He didn't want to be Niou. Niou with the fucked up broken family. No Dad, a mother that hated him. Siblings that cared less about him... He ended up getting over it, though. With the help of his beloved boyfriend.

Or, really, fiance.

Yagyuu had proposed to him at the age of twenty-three. Niou had said yes, but they decided not to have a wedding. So it was like they were forever engaged. As far as anyone else was concerned, it counted.

Yukimura and Sanada had just stayed a couple. They never bothered with the hassle of a marriage.

Yukimura spent time discussing his career, explaining how Tezuka Kunimitsu had also gone on to be pro. And how he had mercilessly beat him down to the ground several times. Though, he didn't actually admit that it took a lot of effort. This made Sanada smirk.

Niou and Yagyuu promised to keep in touch with everyone this time. Yukimura had ended up apologizing for overreacting all those years ago when Yagyuu had shattered Niou to pieces. At this, Niou had pretended to be very interested in Akaya's belly button piercing. He liked to pretend that it never ever happened.

"Wait," Yukimura turned toward Akaya. "Since _when_ exactly, Akaya, did you get your belly button pierced?"

Akaya let out a nervous laugh a Yukimura's overly-protective-mother tone. It seemed that, even now, when they were all older, Yukimura was still the mother of the group.

"Well, You see..." Akaya let out another laugh.

Niou smirked and watched in amusement as Yukimura's eyes shadowed over.

Yagyuu decided to spare Akaya and tried to distract them. "Hey, guys. Watch this."

Yukimura glanced at Yagyuu, almost skeptically. Akaya breathed a small sigh of relief.

Yagyuu took Niou by the face, and kissed his beauty mark. His Charm Point, Niou would call it, because it's the most charming point of his body. Niou broke into a grin.

"You fuckin' bastard." He muttered, still grinning.

"Every time you touch his charm point," Yagyuu tapped it with his index finger, "He'll smile."

"Every time?" Yukimura asked skeptically.

Yagyuu nodded. "Every single time. He can be in the pissiest mood, and he'll still smile."

Akaya tilted his head to the side curiously. "Since when?"

"Since he was little." Yagyuu made a 'short' gesture with his hands. "His sister used to do it when he was upset."

Yukimura grinned and took Niou by the face, kissing him on his charm point.

Niou grinned. "Stop it!"

Yagyuu laughed quietly. This was going to make the future reunions so much more entertaining.

**Sorry that was such a fail ending! DX I couldn't find a good way to end it. .;; But I hope you enjoyed! 8D**

**Oh, and I realize that Akaya wouldn't be there, since he was a second year and didn't graduate until after the others, but I decided to just ignore that. .;; **


End file.
